http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_tent_caterpillar

Samedh and I were in the back yard on bunny patrol tonight (a frisky pair has been frolicking in the yard all day long) when we stumbled upon a little caterpillar in the grass. We coaxed it onto a stick and Samedh observed it close-up, even daring to touch its soft hairy back. After a while we let it go, back onto a similar blade of grass in our yard. Within one foot, we immediately saw another one. Samedh was so excited and suggested that these little guys will eventually turn into beautiful butterflies. I wasn't so sure, but told him we'd search the Internet to read more about this kind. Well, here is what we found out: Eastern Tent Caterpillar (see link above). They can do quite a bit of damage, so if we find more in our yard we'll be sure to direct them elsewhere. But all in all, it was a good learning experience. Every little bit of nature Samedh can experience up close is a treasure. Tomorrow's nature experience will surely start with bunny patrol again, but we'll be on the look-out for our caterpillar friends again as well.

A Memorable Weekend

Pics from our holiday weekend in Novi and Toledo....

Not the Best Place for a Nap

This is a first! I just found Samedh napping UNDER a table in the living room. His snoring lead me right to him, and when I lifted the table and set it aside, this is how I found Samedh...curled up with his thumb in his mouth! He and I had been working on last minute preparations for a weekend trip to the Detroit/Toledo area, and I guess he simply had enough. Just ten minutes ago, he was with me while I printed out Mapquest directions to our friends' house and to the Toledo Zoo. He was working on puzzles, but must have slipped away quietly to the living room while I was printing. Why was he under the table? My guess is he thought he'd hide from me there, but the quiet coziness lulled him to sleep instead. He hid from me under the same table only one hour ago, and we laughed about how wonderful of a hiding place it would be when his cousins visit and play hide-and-seek with him. And here I thought without an afternoon nap, Samedh would simply sleep in the car this evening. But this isn't too bad. A light nap now will allow him to be awake later during our scenic drive and dinner on the road.

Samedh's School Year

Today was Samedh's last day of preschool. There was a short program of songs they've learned, followed by a small ceremony where each student received a certificate and hug from the teachers. Afterwards, the kids had snacks and then played on the playground for the remainder of the time. I can't believe how fast the school year flew by, and just how much Samedh has grown and matured. I saw some of his biggest changes just today as he ran around the playground. He attempted new playground equipment that he never was interested in before, and even went down the big curvy slide by himself a few times. Even he knew the big slide was a huge step for him because he kept telling me about it. He was so proud, and I was proud of him too! I have a feeling that he'll grow and mature even more this summer, and maybe even become a little more daring on the playground! Overall, he had a wonderful year, and we are all looking forward to September when he'll attend preschool three days a week at a new location.

Meet Our New Neighbor

Samedh and I enjoyed watching half a dozen goldfinch pairs zipping around the back yard today during snack time. We also saw a number of starlings and mourning doves snatching up twigs and decorative grass clippings for use in their nests. We've set up a cozy spot in the dining area right in front of our slider door, which we refer to as our "sun room". While it's not an actual sun room, it certainly feels like one when you sit in a comfy chair right up close to the full window. Samedh often sits at his little table during snacks or meals, and can enjoy a full view of the various birds eating from the feeder on our deck as well as in the garden below. It's been a great way to teach him about the different species of birds who visit our yard. Now and then, we'll see a hawk fly through the back yard, or watch beautiful great blue herons fly over head.

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Just when you think you've seen just about every back yard bird there is, someone new shows up. This morning, out of the blue, a brown thrasher landed on our deck for a couple of minutes before disappearing into our garden. It stayed long enough for Samedh and I to get a good glimpse from the kitchen window, where I made a mental note of its size, shape and markings. Samedh's first impression was, "It's a hawk," simply because of its color and size. It was definitely larger than most birds who come to our deck, but it was not a hawk. I went straight for my Birds of North America guide book (an excellent bird identification book by Kenn Kaufman) to make the proper identification of this bird who was "new to us". In my mind I could clearly see the large bird who was reddish brown on top, striped below, and had a long beak and long tail. I quickly found its match in my book, a brown thrasher, who is also pictured above.

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Now we don't have a lot of trees in our back yard, but some of our neighbors do. We've been trying to change that over the years by adding blue spruce trees, arborvitaes, etc. Most of our resident nesters are mourning doves, house finches, goldfinches, robins and sparrows, but I hope that will change as our landscaping matures and offers more cover to other species. Maybe this brown thrasher was just passing through, but it was a real treat for us today. Makes us wonder who will be stopping by next!

Sunday: Action & Relaxation

Samedh's action on the court...

One of my favorite tulips of all time!

Busy Weekend

This is a photo collage from Samedh's Trike-A-Thon held Saturday morning.

Springtime photos taken Sunday in our front yard...

Turtles, ducks and frogs...just a few of the creatures we saw during our Sunday hike at the nearby wetlands.